Roku player now streaming HD content from Netflix

Not only will the Netflix Player by Roku now support HD content from Netflix — if the movie you're trying to watch is available in HD, which many are not — but in their press release today they mention having "additional providers of HD content...in the first quarter of 2009."

Previously • Review: A few days with the Netflix Player by Roku
• Roku Netflix Player goes open source

[#1 posted by classic01 , December 22, 2008 6:32 AM]

Here is a little story. While HDDVD and Blue Ray were fighting over the format war, they forgot about the internet.

Netflix won over Blue Ray + Blockbusters by knock out!

[#2 posted by mappo , December 22, 2008 6:43 AM]

My DSL bandwidth doesn't even get me the top-level resolution of Netflix's standard-def streams. Who's got the bandwidth for an HD stream?

[#3 posted by dculberson , December 22, 2008 7:33 AM]

I might have the bandwidth, but I don't have a Netflix account. I get a pretty reliable 6Mbps on internet speed tests. According to this:

http://blog.netflix.com/2008/11/encoding-for-streaming.html

most of the highest resolution stuff is 2200kbps VBR so it's not actually using 2200kbps all the time. Some things are encoded at 3400kbps.

[#4 posted by Skwid , December 22, 2008 7:54 AM]

I've got more than enough bandwidth to stream HD (FiOS, FTW!), but the selection to stream from is, frankly, pathetic. Barely over 100 titles, last I looked, mostly indie films and documentaries. I don't need HD for a Scrabble documentary, dammit. I want Iron Man in HD, you know? I want something worth the pixels!

[#5 posted by Joel Johnson , December 22, 2008 8:06 AM]

Baby steps!

[#6 posted by Bob Doles Communist Doppelganger , December 22, 2008 8:18 AM]

This is neat, but my ISP (AT&T) is currently in the process of implementing monthly transfer limits to prevent people from doing just this sort of thing; they've got a competing VOD service, and they presumably want to drive people to that.

Isn't that illegal, or at least the sort of thing that attracts the attention of the FCC and/or FTC?

[#7 posted by techdeviant , December 22, 2008 9:21 AM]

I stream some HD stuff (Heroes, 30 Rock) from my xbox360, works pretty awesome actually. I've given up all hope for BluRay, I'm glad to see Netflix moving in this direction.

[#8 posted by nprnncbl , December 22, 2008 10:25 AM]

#6 BDCG: That's a big part of the debate over network neutrality. Those with control over the pipes oppose neutrality and want to extend their monopoly into other areas, such as VOD.

[#9 posted by Lonin , December 22, 2008 10:05 PM]

Just ordered one of these for my parents for Christmas. They don't have an HDTV, so that part of the service is a bit moot, but I'm sure they'll enjoy the other selection of movies.

As a side note, I'm loving my 360 Netflix streaming. I use that as much if not more than the games these days.

[#10 posted by devophill , December 22, 2008 11:35 PM]

Now, can you stream HD content from a 360? And if not, when?

[#11 posted by Lonin , December 22, 2008 11:49 PM]

#10: To or from? The 360 gets HD content from Netflix.

[#12 posted by PetroleumJelliffe , January 6, 2009 11:58 AM]

http://www.netflix.com/WiHD

Xbox360 has had access to this list of HD movies all along supposedly.